Ticket sales this year are well above last year's sales,
according to Rambally.

The headquarters hotel for the festival is the newly opened,
300-room Hyatt Regency St. Lucia Resort, although venues are
scattered all over the island.

"Hotel development,s such as Hyatt; Rosewood's L'Avanbleu resort
under construction next door to the Hyatt, and the new villas at
Sandals St. Lucia Golf Resort & Spa allow more airlift to St.
Lucia," the minister said.

"Our target for 2002 is 5,000 hotel rooms. We're at 4,000 now
and are in discussions with other developers."

Visitors to St. Lucia last year topped 260,000, a 4% increase
over 1998. The U.S. market sent 84,000 visitors, a 10.5% jump.

Although the U.S. is "traditionally a winter market," Rambally
said that the honeymoon and wedding markets were strong from the
U.S. in June and July. This helped account for the 15% visitor
increase last summer over the same period in '98.

Nature heritage tourism is a big draw for all travelers to St.
Lucia these days, according to Rambally.

St. Lucia has 12 established heritage sites now, all of which
are accessible on island itineraries.

The sites are identified by a special logo; 10 more sites will
open by year's end.

The sites also attract a number of cruise passengers, a sizable
market segment that accounts for 50% of all arrivals and 6% of
total expenditures.

"Heritage tours are an opportunity to step away from traditional
tours and get involved with locals who are at the sites," Rambally
said.

These tours generally cater to smaller groups.

At one site in the island's north, visitors can learn how to
prepare cassava, a local vegetable.

Heritage tours are featured in this summer's package
offerings.

As part of efforts to diversify the destination, tourism and
government officials are studying the issue of gaming facilities in
St. Lucia.

Rambally said she expected that legislation would be drafted
within the next few months.

"The ministers will have an input, and then it goes to
Parliament for debate and possible passage," she said.

Any casino licenses that are granted will be tied to hotel
facilities, either existing or new, depending on the size of the
properties involved.